Apple relies on mobile modems from both Qualcomm and Intel, but only Qualcomm’s X16 LTE modem is currently capable of gigabit internet speeds. All four major US carriers are eager to make use of these faster smartphone download speeds as soon as this year in a bid to edge out competitors and gain market share. And hardware makers across the tech industry are releasing new products and offering new components to make this a reality some time in the near future.

Still, Intel needs more time to develop its modem and won’t be capable of shipping it inside new iPhones in the fall. Under normal circumstances, Apple could simply use only Qualcomm components for the next iPhone release, which is believed to come in the form of both a iPhone 7S / 7S Plus and a premium, bezel-less iPhone 8 to mark the device’s 10th anniversary. Samsung, for instance, does rely only on Qualcomm, making its Galaxy S8 capable of gigabit connections. However, because Apple and Qualcomm are currently suing one another in multiple countries over Qualcomm’s alleged illegal monopoly on smartphone modems, the iPhone maker is hesitant to cut a deal that would make it more reliant on its legal opponent, Bloomberg reports...............

BREAKING...T-Mobile rolls out 5GHz GIGABIT LTE-U support in six cities...more cities coming soon...only phone currently supporting these faster speeds is Samsung's Galaxy S8/S8+Jun 26, 2017, 5:09pm EDTtheverge.com.............If you live in Bellevue, WA; Brooklyn, NY; Dearborn, MI; Las Vegas, NV; Richardson, TX; or Simi Valley, CA and have a compatible device — which for now, is only the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ — you’ll be able to take advantage of the faster speeds through LTE-U.

If you need a refresher, LTE-U, or LTE-Unlicensed, is part of the LTE Advanced standard, which takes advantage of unused frequency from the 5 GHz band of spectrum (typically used by Wi-Fi routers) for faster LTE service..............

BTW, the new Apple iJUNK 8/8+ will NOT have support the new gigabit speeds due to the lawsuit between Apple and Qualcomm... so buying an iJUNK 8/8+ you will be getting an already OBSOLETE JUNK GARBAGE phone.... LMFAO... too funny...

As tech reviewers across the United States and Europe sing praises of Apple's new iPad Pro, here's what Joshua Topolsky, former editor-in-chief of The Verge and Engadget (and now with The Outline) had to say: "It [10.5-inch iPad Pro] is inferior to a laptop in almost every way, unless you like to draw. If you think you can replace you laptop with this setup: you cannot. Imagine a computer, but everything works worse than you expect. That is the new iPad. Now, I know the software is in beta, but I also know how Apple betas work. They don't massively change. I have no doubt it's a very powerful piece of hardware, and the screen is gorgeous. Garageband is a lot of fun to play with. But this doesn't COME CLOSE to replacing your laptop, even for simple things you do, like email. AND one other thing. Apple's keyboard cover is a fucking atrocity. A terrible piece of hardware. Awkward to use, poor as a cover. Okay in a pinch if you need something LIKE a keyboard. Anyhow good to know there are still Apple fanboys who get mad if you insult their products. But I don't think it's a very good product. Finally, iOS 11 is definitely a STEP in the right direction. But guys the iPad has been around forever and it still feels half-assed. I think a lot of people are willing to contort themselves around a bad UX because marketing is powerful."

Last week, the Apple vs. Qualcomm Saga continued, with Apple responding to the recent actions undertaken by Qualcomm to attempt to enforce its standing contracts regarding the use of Qualcomm intellectual property in iPhone devices.

Let’s just say that it was no surprise when Apple’s response came that it was once again littered with questionable interpretations of the value of Qualcomm’s IP, the depth of Qualcomm’s contributions to technologies critical to the iPhone, and challenges to the fairness of Qualcomm’s licensing terms. More problematic, however, was the kerfuffle of red-delicious eyed media and analysts predictably giving Apple’s response a pass, and putting out articles jumping to the iPhone maker’s defense, clearly without so much as reading one page of the legal documents before parroting Apple’s position by default.

Over the past few months we have been regularly discussing this dispute between the two technology giants. Not just because talking about Apple makes for good reading, but because we see a much bigger story lurking underneath its dispute with Qualcomm – a story at the heart of which a battle is being waged for the future of - and access to - innovation. More than anything, we believe that there are two sides to every story, and feel that to simply accept the rhetoric coming from Apple, particularly as it relates to such a critical topic, is a form of dereliction of duty. It certainly is odd that so few seem interested in analyzing Qualcomm’s claims in earnest, or in remarking on the company’s relative silence in contrast to Apple’s invective.

Here are some basic facts: Together, Apple and Qualcomm have developed some of the most beautiful and popular mobile devices on the planet. If you believe Apple could have done it without Qualcomm, then just put your device in airplane mode. That will give you a taste of where Apple’s handheld universe would be without Qualcomm. Oh wait… Qualcomm also developed airplane mode. In fact, Qualcomm even invented the lock screen. The truth is that Qualcomm’s technology – much of it, critical and fundamental technology – is omnipresent in all smartphones. Apple can pretend otherwise, and try to minimize Qualcomm’s contributions to its ecosystem of mobile products, but that sort of propaganda doesn’t hold water, even when some journalists, analysts, and bloggers are either too lazy or too beholden to Apple to bother looking any of this up and fact-checking their own articles.

Amazon, Comcast are grabbing a bigger chunk of the digital-movie business

By Ben Fritz and Tripp Mickle

Apple Inc.’s iTunes Store -- ­already struggling against rising competition for music listeners -- is losing the battle for video viewers as well.

The company’s market share for renting and selling movies has been falling for several years, tumbling to between 20% and 35% from well over 50% as recently as 2012, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

No third parties track market share in the digital-movie business, making ...